Union County Officer Dies Following On-Duty Medical Episode

SPRINGFIELD, NJ — The Springfield community is mourning the untimely death of Officer John Paul Patrick.

While on active duty on Oct. 6, Patrick suffered a medical episode which ultimately led to his untimely death on Oct. 21, said Springfield Police Chief John Cook.

On Oct. 22, Patrick was posthumously promoted to the rank of Detective.

Patrick joined the Township of Springfield Police Department in May 2007 as a patrol officer after graduating from the Cape May County Police Academy.

Patrick was later assigned as an Investigator within the Investigative Division from 2018 through 2021 "where he excelled in investigations involving all forms of cybercrime and fraud, having achieved the status of a Certified Fraud Examiner on his personal time," said Cook.

During his time in the Investigative Division, Patrick was assigned on loan to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit for several months and received a vast amount of training from the National White Collar Crime Center.

"Although John's true passion was investigative work, he was always willing to take on new challenges and help out any way he could," said Cook.

Patrick received additional training and became an instructor in several areas including Ballistic Shield, Defensive Tactics, and BLS, as well as being a Field Training Officer. He was also one of the newest members of Springfield's ARRIVE team.

"Detective Patrick leaves behind a wife and two young children and many caring family members, along with a void in the Springfield Police Department family that will remain. He will be sorely missed," said Cook. "Please keep Detective John Paul Patrick and his family in your prayers."

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